Blue Thunder (1983): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Blue Thunder is a 1983 action thriller directed by John Badham, starring Warren Oates, Roy Scheider and Daniel Stern. It runs 1 hour 49 minutes and earned $42.3 million worldwide. It won 1 award from 3 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Critics gave it 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and 66 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.4/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 49m (109 min)
- Director
- John Badham
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Columbia TriStar Film
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Blue Thunder About?
The premise of Blue Thunder without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Frank Murphy, a dedicated police officer, is assigned to pilot Blue Thunder, a revolutionary attack helicopter intended to help fight crime in a city struggling with justice. However, he soon discovers the helicopter's true purpose: a tool for government control and suppression. Torn between his duty and his conscience, Murphy must confront the corruption within the system and decide whether to uphold his oath or rebel against those in power.
Blue Thunder Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- psychopath
- automatic gunfire
- police officer killed
- dying young
- police surveillance
- totalitarian tendencies
- los angeles police department
- american police officer
- test pilot
- helicopter
- pilot
- police helicopter
+38 more Show fewer
- surveillance
- airplane shot down
- aviation
- car chase
- acrobatic flight
- automatic weapon
- los angeles california
- lapd
- helicopter pilot
- helicopter gunship
- helicopter crash
- advanced technology
- observation
- darkness
- aircraft cockpit
- violence
- power
- explosion
- chase
- escape
- sociopath
- corruption
- prototype
- payphone
- aircraft pilot
- rotorcraft
- man tied up
- prologue
- control
- armed robbery
- arrest
- nudity
- rear nudity
- chased by police
- naked yoga
- air support unit
- shootout
- shot to death
Blue Thunder Cast
Warren Oates leads the cast, with Roy Scheider and Daniel Stern. Directed by John Badham; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director John Badham
Also Starring in Blue Thunder
· 6 moreMore from John Badham
More films directed by John Badham, best-rated first: WarGames, Dracula, Stakeout and Point of No Return.
Blue Thunder Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Blue Thunder 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and 66 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.4/10.
-
IMDb 6.4 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 78% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 53%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 66 Metascore
User score 7.6
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 62% User score
See on TMDB
Blue Thunder Plot Summary
What happens in Blue Thunder from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In the bustling Metropolitan Police Astro Division of Los Angeles, nightfall signals the start of a critical shift. Captain Braddock (Warren Oates) anxiously searches for the experienced pilot, Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider). After some back and forth, he instructs rookie observer Lymangood (Daniel Stern) to track down Murphy. Lymangood finds him in the ready room, engrossed in his digital wristwatch. Their dynamic shifts as Murphy learns that his usual observer, Montoya, is now on the day shift, and he’s paired with the green Lymangood.
Full summary
The whole story of Blue Thunder, scene by scene
Blue Thunder Box Office
Blue Thunder grossed $42.3 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$42.3M
- US & Canada
- $42.3M
Blue Thunder Awards & Nominations
Blue Thunder won 1 award from 3 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Its biggest night was the Saturn Awards 1984, with 1 win from 2 nominations.
1 win3 nominations2 ceremonies
-
Saturn Awards 1984 1 win · 2 nominations- Won Best Supporting Actress
- Nominated Best Actor
-
Oscars 1984 1 nomination- Nominated Film Editing
Blue Thunder Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 1 trailer, 1 teaser and 1 featurette.
- Teaser TV Spot
- Featurette John Badham on Blue Thunder
How Well Do You Know Blue Thunder?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the senior pilot that Captain Braddock is searching for?
Cars in Blue Thunder
93 cars on screen, including the 1972 Chevrolet Impala Custom and the 1971 Chevrolet Vega.
-
1972 Chevrolet Impala Custom Important role -
1971 Chevrolet Vega Important role -
1977 Dodge Monaco Important role -
1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Important role
Blue Thunder Also Known As
34 alternative titles, including “Žydrasis griaustinis” and “Modrý hrom”.
- Also known as
-
- Žydrasis griaustinis
- Modrý hrom
- Błękitny Grom
- El trueno azul
- 蓝色霹雳号
- ปฏิบัติการสอดแนมท้านรก
- تندر آبی
- رعد آبی
- Das fliegende Auge
- Tuono Blu
- Tonnerre de feu
- Sininen Salama
+22 more Show fewer
- Голубой гром
- Kék Villám
- Operação Thor
- ブルーサンダー
- Létající Oko
- Γαλάζιος Κεραυνός
- Tunet Albastru
- Lietajúce Oko
- רעם כחול
- Синята мълния
- Trovão Azul
- Mavi Yıldırım
- 蓝霹雳
- 블루 썬더
- 藍色霹靂號
- Relámpago Azul
- Plavi grom
- 藍霹靂
- บลูธันเดอร์ ฮ. ฟ้าผ่า
- Tia Chớp Xanh
- Блакитний грім
- El tro blau
Seen Blue Thunder?
Movies Like Blue Thunder
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Dark Blue, Blue Tornado and Blue City.
Blue Thunder FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Blue Thunder, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Blue Thunder?
Blue Thunder runs 1 hour 49 minutes (109 minutes).
When was Blue Thunder released?
Blue Thunder was released on May 13, 1983.
Who directed Blue Thunder?
Blue Thunder was directed by John Badham.
More films by John Badham Who is in the cast of Blue Thunder?
Blue Thunder stars Warren Oates, Roy Scheider and Daniel Stern, among 10 credited actors.
How much did Blue Thunder make at the box office?
Blue Thunder grossed $42.3 million worldwide.
How is Blue Thunder rated?
Blue Thunder has 6.4/10 on IMDb, 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, 66 on Metacritic and 62% on TMDB.
What awards did Blue Thunder win?
Blue Thunder won 1 award from 3 nominations, including Best Supporting Actress at the Saturn Awards 1984.
Does Blue Thunder have a post-credit scene?
No. Blue Thunder has no extra scene during or after the credits.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
